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Facebook to ban white nationalist content

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Re: Facebook to ban white nationalist content

#561

Post by europsucks »

But what exactly is "white nationalist content"? If I say something positive about Trump, will it already get me banned? What if I disagree with something a PoC says?

Of course FB as a private company is entitled to censor whatever they want.

In a general sense, I don't really understand the need, as usually in social networks like Facebook people only see the stuff they want to see. There are lots of tools to facilitate your own filter bubble, and people use them. So the worry that "ideology x is spreading via Facebook" is somewhat unfounded in my opinion.

Re: Facebook to ban white nationalist content

#563

Post by ratling »

Fins wrote: post #552
ratling wrote: post #479

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't solve nazi ideology with reasoned debate. You don't solve it with deplatforming either but I doubt facebook is going to start throwing bricks so I'll take it.

And of course as long as you agree with FB's determination of who is a Nazi and who isn't, it's all fine and peachy?

If they overreach then we circle back, basic iterative process. I see nothing in their statement to indicate that they're going to overreach.

Re: Facebook to ban white nationalist content

#564

Post by piokoch »

Hmm, I don't even know what "white nationalist" mean. Nationalism is often confused with chauvinism. The difference is rather important. Nationalism is a natural and mostly positive attitude: a person lives at some place (country, city, village), surrounded by people with that person spends most of the time, with whom that person talks, trades. So it is natural to be more eager to help those people around than someone living on the other side of the globe.

On the other hand, chauvinism is a negative attitude, this is misunderstood nationalism. The good example is the following.

Let's say I have kids and my neighbour too. Obviously I want the best for my kids, so I take care of them, send them to a good school, so they have the best possible education and perspectives - this is "nationalism". It does not mean that I wish anything bad for my neighbour and his kids.

Now, chauvinism means that I am going to hurt my neighbour's kids, since they are competition for mine, and this is obviously bad.

So, coming back to the FB declaration, "white nationalist" does not make much sense. The colour of the skin is hardly a predictor of common interests. I assume FB means chauvinism, otherwise they will have to ban all international sport competitions news (funs are naturally nationalistic since they support national team), they will have to also ban all national holidays, including 4th July, as they are nationalistic by very nature.

Re: Facebook to ban white nationalist content

#566

Post by nepeckman »

toomim wrote: post #440

> Going forward, while people will still be able to demonstrate pride in their ethnic heritage, we will not tolerate praise or support for white nationalism and separatism. So you can praise and support your ethnic nationality, as long as you're not white.

White is not an ethnic nationality. A person from Ireland has no ethnic or national ties to a person from Italy. The fact that the citizens of those two countries were not considered "white" 100 years ago demonstrates the invalidity of "white" as an ethnic or national group.

Re: Facebook to ban white nationalist content

#567

Post by piokoch »

"Today we’re announcing a ban on praise, support and representation of white nationalism and separatism on Facebook and Instagram"

First of all, why white nationalism, how about black or yellow nationalism, are they ok?

Second thing, they will ban "separatism". Really? Are you FB guys really going to ban Kurds who want their own land, are you going to ban Palestinians who want their own land? If FB existed 30 years ago, would it ban anty-communistic opposition in central and eastern Europe which was fighting to get separated from Soviet Union? What the about Scots, what if they want to separate from UK? Will they be banned? Same with Catalans?

Re: Facebook to ban white nationalist content

#568

Post by [deleted] »

sparkie wrote: post #329
iheartpotatoes wrote: post #197

Lots of slippery-slope fanatics posting today. When they start banishing speech that is not about exterminating nonwhites, then we can have that conversation. (For example: Elizabeth Warren speaking out against Facebook.) But until then let's just agree that supporting groups who actively incite violence and march for exterminating nonwhites is a BAD THING. OK? JFC I can't believe how many people are so eager to cite…

Speech that is about "exterminating nonwhites" is already illegal speech. It is incitement to commit crime. There does not need to be new rules or laws to prevent this speech - there just needs to be enforcement of the existing rules, which is fine, and I think everyone, including most right-wingers will agree that such laws should be enforced, and it is correct that media platforms block posts as soon as they are al…

[deleted]

Re: Facebook to ban white nationalist content

#569

Post by Bhilai »

tathougies wrote: post #100

Why are white people specifically targeted. As someone of an Indian background, I've seen plenty of Hindu nationalist content on Facebook, and -- despite it actually affecting my Christian family who are still in India -- there is no ban on that content. Such nationalism has led to more violence and death than any of the white nationalism stories.

Banning Hindu Nationalists from its platform is a pretty reasonable position that FB should take.

Re: Facebook to ban white nationalist content

#570

Post by tzs »

tathougies wrote: post #100

Why are white people specifically targeted. As someone of an Indian background, I've seen plenty of Hindu nationalist content on Facebook, and -- despite it actually affecting my Christian family who are still in India -- there is no ban on that content. Such nationalism has led to more violence and death than any of the white nationalism stories.

According to their statement, they have long banned for "hateful treatment of people based on characteristics such as race, ethnicity or religion", and white supremacy has long fallen under that. They also say that nationalism does not usually fall under this, with things like "American pride" or "Basque separatism" being an important part of people's identities.

What they say is changing is that in the specific case of white nationalism and separatism the overlap with white supremacy is nearly total to the point that they cannot be meaningfully separated.

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